From Virginia to Ghana!
Every now and then we like to spotlight collegiate therapy programs in the U.S. that help their students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the outside world. The last program highlighted was the University of Wisconsin-Madison where PT students and faculty traveled to Belize to help develop community education programs on disability.
Today, we would like to shine the spotlight on the Occupational Therapy Program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. This May, five OT graduate students, along with their professor, will spend 2 weeks in Ghana, Africa as part of one of their courses. Below is a section of the course syllabus, found on one of the students’ blogs.
“The focus of the course will be on understanding child development from the Ghanaian perspective and the challenges faced by children in developing countries. A special focus will be placed on children with disabilities and children who are disadvantaged by their family situation (e.g. orphans, street children). Participants will visit and volunteer at several orphanages and schools in the Central region of Ghana as well as work with street children currently being served by the host organization, Sovereign Global Mission. While in the country, students will meet with and interview local leaders to gain a better understanding of the disability culture in this part of West Africa.”
Students will spend the semester leading up to their trip learning about child development and disability, among other things. As an added plus, the students and professor have each created blogs to reflect on what they learn before, during and after the trip! I have included links to each blog below. Take a moment to check in on them from time to time.
Jessica’s Trip to Ghana 2009
Kate’s Trip to Ghana, 2009
OT Grad Student in Ghana
VCU OT – Ghana 2009
VCU OT in Ghana
The VCU Ghana trip is just another example of the great job our universities are doing in expanding the minds of their students, and in turn, sending knowledgeable and well-rounded therapists out into the field.
